Karen Gravano Book

It’s official. The world is probably about to end. Mob Wives‘ Karen Gravano’s book Mob Daughter, is currently number 18 on the New York Times bestseller list of hardcover nonfiction tomes. I kid, I kid…not about her achievement as an “author” but about the world ending. It can’t. I am still on the first installment of the Hunger Games, so the world is going to have to stick around long enough for me to read Karen’s book. And that could take years. And years.

Unfortunately, as it is with everyone who seeks fame, the backlash comes as quickly as the love. After hearing that some folks are boycotting an upcoming Barnes & Noble appearance to promote her book, SILive.com is reporting that Karen understands the discontent. After all, she’s a victim too, y’all. She claims to be on the same side of those who believe she is profiting off her father (Sammy the Bull)’s bad behavior (to put it mildly).

In an interview with Advance, Karen claims, “I’m on their side. I’ve said they were victims of this lifestyle, and the decisions that our fathers chose.” She continues, “I also lost a [my uncle] to this, so I just think it’s actually insulting at this point that they can sit there and call themselves victims but they don’t consider the loss that I felt — or the things that I went through because my father is Sammy the Bull.”

She’s referring to her father, Salvatore Gravano, who was known as Sammy the Bull. Sammy served as an underboss of the infamous Gambino crime family. He later turned tables and became an informant, sending John Gotti to federal prison until his death. Her book chronicles her life growing up on Staten Island and learning at young age about her father’s crime-spreeing ways.

As for people who think her book profits are blood money, Karen cites that no one seems to blame the Gotti Mafioso for their crimes. She believes her critics are solely focused on her father. She tells Advance, “I’m starting to become a little skeptical. Are they mad that he killed their fathers, or are they mad that [my father] cooperated?”

From there, Karen makes a bit of stretch. I know she probably wasn’t thinking fully about what she was saying, so I’ll give her a pass, but she compared the families of said mobsters to those who suffered on 9/11. If you think I’m wrong, please call me out, but that’s how I took her following statement. She says, “I never said families are not the victims — I will not say the men are victims. The people in 9/11 are victims. When you walk into something like that and you don’t know it’s going to happen, then you’re a victim.”

Karen does concede that her father has gotten what he deserves and is paying his dues. Rightfully, his situation doesn’t cause her to think any less of him. She admits, “I can’t help that I love my father, the same way that they love their fathers,” she said. “All of them chose the wrong path in their lives, the men.”

By “they,” Karen means others in the lifestyle who have profited off books which detail their stories. While she calls them “hypocrites” Karen is quick to state, “I didn’t write this book to have fights with them. I wrote this book to shed light on the life I went through.”

Karen also discusses her three years’ probation after pleading guilty in Arizona to helping her father sell ecstasy. She even claims her father’s past as her reasoning to seek criminal involvement. Karen cites the leniency she received in her youth from law enforcement for being Sammy the Bull’s daughter. That, coupled with the reaction to her father becoming an informant, shaped her behavior.

“I felt like you only get respect when you’re bad,” Karen asserts. “It made me feel like I want to be bad, and I turned my life over to crime.”

She continues, reasoning, “It made me who I am. I know why I made my decisions. I know why I did it. I don’t put blame on anyone else. I didn’t say, ‘I’m going to deal drugs because my father hurt me.’ I’m going to deal drugs because it’s a choice that I made.”

As for her involvement on Mob Wives, she is adamant that the idea for the book came before the show. When asked about the over-the-talk drama we see every Sunday night, Karen explains, “When we do scenes or we do shows where we’re not bickering, people find them boring.”

Furthermore, Karen defends a past comment relating Staten Island to the “breeding ground for the Mafia.” She counters, “That’s what I’ve seen. I didn’t mean the whole entire Staten Island. I think that if anything, we’re not representing a borough, we’re representing ourselves.” Staten Island thanks you for clarifying.

As for her father, Karen is quick to admit that she felt “betrayed and hurt” when he cooperated with the FBI. Her book, she hopes, is about family, saying, “I was looking at it as a little girl whose father just left her.”

Karen hopes that her true supporters will view the book in light of how she has persevered. “How can I take this and spin it into a positive, where it can work for me, instead of against me, for the rest of my life?” Karen ponders.

“I can’t deny who I am,” she continues. “I’m a hustler and if I’m hungry and if there’s food in front of me I’m going to take it and eat it.” And by food, she means Drita.

[Photo Credit: D. Salters/WENN.com]

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF KAREN’S INTERVIEW? IS SHE A VICTIM OR IS SHE PROFITING ON HER FATHER’S WRONGDOING? WILL YOU BE READING HER BOOK?

In today’s Mob Wives update, the castmate everyone seems to love to hate, Karen Gravano gave an interview to the Huffingtonpost.com about her new book, Mob Daughter: The Mafia, Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, and Me!

During her chat, she opens up about the drama on the show, her take on what she calls “the lifestyle,” and the rift between her and father due to her involvement with the VH1 hit.

Why did you decide to write this book?I just felt like my life came completely full circle and I realized why everything happened. I realized who we are as a family. I realized who my father was. I understand why he got into the lifestyle he did. For a long time, I didn’t understand why he cooperated [with the authorities].

You write that you were furious that your dad cooperated with the police.All my life I was taught that it was something you never do. I was thinking, “That’s something you taught me all my life not to do. Why are you doing it?” When we grew up, in our circles, that was the worst thing you could do. It wasn’t like I had friends who had normal fathers. All my friends’ fathers were gangsters. Everyone I was around was into that life. When he did it, I knew people would turn their backs on us. I didn’t know [it would be] to the extent that they did. I felt like my whole life was over.

Why do you think he cooperated?Because he felt that he was double-crossed. He heard the Gotti tapes and once he listened to those tapes he realized that John double-crossed him. His first initial thoughts were, “I’m going to fight my case and when I get out I’m going to kill him.” You know that’s how it’s done in that lifestyle. But then he felt disgusted by the whole lifestyle, so he decided to turn his back and walk away.

Do you think “Mob Wives” glamorizes the gangster lifestyle?The show was pitched to me to show what the women go through, the struggle. All of us are single moms because our partners are in prison.

The show also focuses on a lot of bickering between the cast members.That’s why my book is so important to me. Again, when you’re on a show and there’s four women, you’re kind of caught up in the situation. I’m definitely not saying it’s other people’s fault because I definitely contribute to a lot of the drama. I felt like I came home and got sucked into it. I’m sick of the bickering, it’s not who I am. For me, I can be that person, but I feel like my story is so much bigger than that and I feel like out of all the women on the show, my father, Sammy the Bull, he’s the biggest name. The show isn’t scripted by any means, but you realize there are cameras and you kind of get caught up in the moment. It’s all very new to me to talk about the lifestyle, admitting it. We never said the word “mob” growing up.

Does your dad like the show?He definitely didn’t like the name, but after he started watching it, he realized it’s about the women, so he was okay with it. But now he’s like, “I hate the fighting, I hate the arguing, the cursing,” so I’ve also had to deal with that. My father is totally disgusted and hasn’t spoken to me over the show. Hopefully I can make up for it.

So, he’s not talking to you now?He’s angry, [but] it’s not like we’re never going to talk again. He’s really pissed off about the show. So he doesn’t want to talk to me right now. He’s just mad. He doesn’t like watching the show. He doesn’t like the arguing, the cursing.

Don’t you want to say, “Who are you to give me etiquette lessons?”No, even though he did that, he always wanted better for me. It’s not like he’s not talking to me because he doesn’t want anything ever to do with me. He feels like I’m bigger than that. It’s not that he’s saying it because he’s judging me; he’s saying it because he cares about me. It’s two different things.

In other Mob Wives news, everyone’s favorite addition Angela “Big Ang” Raiola is channeling her inner Marilyn Monroe on a recent photo shoot for NEXT Magazine. VH1 shares some of her best shots from the spread on its site. I could swear in the third picture she’s humming “Happy Birthday, Mr. President!” but I can’t be sure. Enjoy those pictures below!

WHAT DO THINK OF RENEE’S INTERVIEW? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT SHE’S ABOVE THE DRAMA? COMMENTS ON BIG ANG’S PICTORIAL?

Mob Wives is baaaack! Vh1 just released the poster and teaser clip for Season 2 and all I can say is YES! Oh sweet glorious television Gods — Thank you! I love these bleepin ladies!

As we recently reported all four of the ladies are returning and the drama will be as crazy as ever! Especially with the introduction of a new mafia princess!

In the off season the hell raisers in heels of Staten Island have been busy, busy little bees. Renee Graziano has been getting nipped, tucked and toxed. Oh and her father Anthony Graziano has been sent back to prison on extortion charges as reported by the Staten Island Live News.

She’s also rekindled things with Junior (aka Hector Pagan Jr), recently arraigned on allegations that he and a crew robbed a card game run by the Bonanno crime family. A photo of Renee and Junior leaving a Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn is below.

Carla Facciolo is back together with her estranged husband Joseph Ferragamo and has called off the divorce. Hopefully he’ll remain out of prison and they can stay happily married.

Karen Gravano is still hard at work on her book which according to the M.O.B. Wives blog is titled MobDaughter and is slated to be released in February 2012 — right in the middle of Season 2! A photo of Karen attending a publishing meeting for the book is below, a mock-up of the book cover is behind her in the pic!

As for ol’ Drita “Brass Knuckles” D’avanzo she’s been spotted hanging out with Jersey Shore‘s infamous Snooki! Oh lawd, the thought of their antics is causing me heart palpitations! Drita recently posted some pictures of the two of them on her Facebook page. A photo of Snookers and Drita is below. Right after these were taken the two did tequila shots until punching random people in the head seemed like a good idea, then got leopard print tattoos, flashed some people, bought a fur and danced on a bar. Ok, I made that part up, but I imagine that’s what happened.

The most exciting news for the new season of Mob Wives is the introduction of a NEW WIFE! Yes, Karen is the odd girl out no more as her ‘cousin’ is joining the cast in an effort to make Renee’s overly Restylane’d head explode!

According to the NY Post, Ramona Rizzo (pictured below) has been added to the cast! Ramona is a divorced mother of four currently living in New Jersey, but was raised in Staten Island along side Renee and Karen.“Karen and Ramona grew up together, did their first Communion together and slept over each other’s houses,” Jennifer Graziano — Renee’s sister and the creator and producer of the show – reveals. “They’re really close and call each other ‘cousins.’ ”

Ramona has quite the organized crime legacy! Her grandfather was Benjamin “Lefty Guns” Ruggiero, a member of the Bonnano crime family who was a subject of the movie “Donnie Brasco” and played by Al Pacino!

Ironically Ramona’s legendary grandfather was also somewhat of a traitor who “unwittingly” played a role in the downfall of the mob when he brought undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp‘s character in the movie) into the crime family. Ramona’s grandfather died of cancer in prison in 1994 and was never punished by the mob for his accidental nark.

Ramona has been Tweeting up a storm since the news leaked that she was participating in the show and even tweeted a photo of her and bestie Karen! A photo of the pseudo cousins is below!

Is anyone else a tad bit frightened about the drama shizzstorm we’re in for this season? Watch out Real Housewives of New Jersey, the real gangsters of reality TV are claiming their turf!

Mob Wives season 2 will premiere Jan. 1 (8/7c) on Vh1. Are you ready to stab somebody with a stiletto?! See the teaser below!

THOUGHTS ON THE TEASER? ARE YOU EXCITED TO WATCH SEASON 2? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ADDITION OF RAMONA RIZZO TO THE CAST?